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Biographical history

The Australasian Society of Engineers was established in 1890, by members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers dissatisfied with the British dominance of that union. The Australasian Society of Engineers was first federally registered as a trade union in 1910 at which time there were branches in New South Wales, Adelaide (1904), Western Australia and Broken Hill (1909). By January 1914 the union branches included Collie, Melbourne, Adelaide, SA State, Wallaroo, Newcastle, South Sydney, Bathurst, Sydney, Perth, Petersburg, Port Adelaide, Quorn, Granville, Broken Hill, and Prospect. The union became defunct in February 1938 but was re-registered in August 1938. In 1991 it amalgamated with the Federated Ironworkers' Association of Australia to form the Federation of Industrial Manufacturing and Engineering Employees. This union later amalgamated with the Australian Workers' Union to form the AWU-FIME Amalgamated Union in 1993, later known simply as the AWU.

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Minutes of Federal Council (1890-1916, 1925-1942, 1953-1979 with some gaps) and Federal Executive (1953-1979), Biennial and Triennial Conference minutes, financial records and membership records (1890-1916, 1927-1941). Financial records include Federal Council salary ledgers (1942-1948, 1951-1962), membership contributions (1890-1903, 1912-1914), and ledgers. Also includes files relating to demarcation with other trades. Also includes some press cuttings (1912-1919).